The Environmental Monitor
provides information on projects under review by the Massachusetts Environmental
Policy Act (MEPA) office, recent MEPA decisions of the Secretary of
Environmental Affairs, and public notices from environmental agencies.
Please note that the links on this page require the use of Adobe Acrobat
Reader®, which is available free of charge at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html.

PLEASE NOTE: Beginning with the September 9, 2009 edition of the Environmental Monitor, Public Notices will not be accepted for publication if they are submitted after the close of the deadline. Additionally, Public Notices must be submitted in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format. Microsoft Word documents will no longer be accepted. This policy will be strictly enforced.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Policy and Protocol Information Resources

The MEPA Office is pleased to provide an on-line resource that provides information on several projects that have been reviewed under the MEPA Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Policy and Protocol. For each of the projects, the file includes the MEPA Certificates, relevant comment letters and supporting GHG analysis and supplemental materials provided in MEPA filings. Several of the projects have completed MEPA review while others are at different stages of MEPA review (e.g. only ENF or Draft EIR has been reviewed). The file includes a range of project types (e.g. retail, mixed use, redevelopment, residential) and includes projects that have requested Waivers or Single EIRs. This file will be updated periodically to include recently reviewed projects.

Regulations for Public Benefit Determinations and Amendments to the MEPA
Regulations

The
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) has promulgated new
regulations at 301 CMR 13.00 (Public
Benefit Determination Regulations) to implement changes made in St.
2007, c. 168 (Chapter 168), which was enacted in November, 2007. A
summary of the Public Benefit Determination Regulations is provided.
EEA has also amended the MEPA
regulations at 301 CMR 11.00 to incorporate changes made in Chapter
168, as well as changes addressing the Rare Species thresholds and the
distribution of MEPA documents.In accordance with the amended requirements for the distribution of MEPA
documents, the MEPA Office should now receive two copies of each
Environmental Impact Report (rather than three as previously required).
For other changes to the distribution requirements, please refer to the
newly amended MEPA regulations.

2009
Environmental Monitor Publication Schedule

The 2009 Schedule for the publication of
the Environmental Monitor, comment period deadlines, and decision dates
is now available.

Please note that, with some exceptions, the files for all projects that
have undergone MEPA review with an EEA# less than 10140 are now housed
in the State Archives Building. If you wish to view any of these files,
a request must be made in writing or via e-mail to Josie Wixon, Administrative
Assistant, of the MEPA Office. Josie's e-mail address is josephine.wixon@state.ma.us.
Because deliveries are made only periodically, please allow up to one
month in order to retrieve any requested files.

Notices
of Project Change

Please
note that the Environmental Monitor will now include scanned copies
of Notices of Project Change (NPCs) in order to facilitate public review
and comment. Although not specifically required by the MEPA regulations,
we are now requesting that project proponents provide a separate copy
of the NPC form (just as with the ENF) in order to facilitate scanning,
as well as two copies of the full NPC submission.